Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-11-10

"Once upon time some old sea cap
tain whose stout ship carried rich bales
of merchandise from strange foreign
lands, brought this shawl to Cousin
Charity. Perhaps he was her lover" l
soliloquized, dreamily.
How faint and sweet the odoI clinging
about it; blended essence, it seemed, of
sandal wood, musk, and rose leaves.
1t had for me the intangible poetic
charm of an old painting, piece of rare
time yellowed lace, or one of those quain.
spinets upon which our grandmothers
used to accompany themselves as they
sung long ago ballads of tenderness and
sentiment, now almost forgotten. Songs
like that pensive one beginning, "Faintly
flow, thou falling river or
when twilight dews are falling fast
Upon rosy sea-
watch that star, whose beams so oft
Have. lighted me TO thee
Thus while my vivid imagination was
weaving web of romance around the
broche shawl, the carriage stopped.
Looking out saw that we were before the
stone steps of q handsome country res
idence. The lawns we're spacious and
beautifully kept fountains threw up
showers of silvery spray, and bright
flowers bloomed in graceful urns. My
friend came out to give me cordial wei
come. The week that followed was
very happy one; the house was full of
guests, and each day some we'll planned
excursion among the hills, ride, drive,
or a rowing party kept us out in the pure,
soft air all day, to return for music or
quiet talk in the evening. Everywhere
we went my broche shawl was admired.
Among these gay, aristocratic people it
seemed to give me certain prestige,
something like that unwritten certificate
of good birth, which the possession of
valuable ancestral portrait, an antique
silver tea-set, or a family ring, wherein
the heraldic device is partly obliberated
by time, is supposed to bestow upon its
fortunate owner.
1t was taken for granted that young
lady who possessed shawl so unquestion-
ably family relic must have had at least
one grandmother of taste, culture and
social position. For that matter we were
we'll enough descended, it is trre, but
alas! it is equally true that several gener-
ations of accomplished, scholarly and
genially improvident ancestors had eff
fectualiy made away with the family es-
tates, and with every relic of our grand
eur in the old colonial days.
There was enough of the inherited es
thetic taste in my character, however, to
make me keenly appreciate the life of
ease, refinement, and careless pleasure
that these people lived. How delightful
to me the bright talk, the well-lighted,
fiower-decked rooms, and the dreamy
keeping time to Strauss's waltz music.
When we danced Mr.. Lascelles was usual
ly my partner. grew at last to expect
him, and was disappointed If he did not
spend the larger portion of the evening
at my side. Marmaduke, or Duke Las
celles, as his friends called MIN, was
liked by all who knew him-an artist of
rare genius, handsome and kind hearted,
how could he be othetwiseY Very differ
ent was his conversation from the insipid
small talk of the young men whom had
hitherto met. He seemed 10 understand
at once those aspirations, hopes, dreams,
and monitions of my soul, which, until
now, had kept locked away in my heart
of hearts, despairing of ever finding
sympathy or comprehension in another.
An Imaginative girl, With nature warm
and unspoiled by the world, could not
fail to respond to the destinations of such
man.
| began to dread the time when should
see him no more, and felt that the cold,
matter off life of my cousins puri
tanic household at Highbury would seem
darkly dreary after this visit.
When my friends mother suggested
my staying another week at Dalesmere
my heart gave joyous throb of relief.
When she added that it might be well to
have her coachman take me in the car
riage to Higbbury, that might tell Cou-
sin Charity of my intention to make a
longer visit, consented at once, and so
one Saturday morning / went over the
hills again. Only a week, yet it had
changed my entire life. Earth and sky
were new for me, and in fancy the deep
tones of a beloved voice sounded in my
ears, drowning the song of birds and the
chant of summers insects. | walked with
.ny head in rosy clouds, under the great
influence of that sweet intoxication-a
first great love. Truly, it is foodtide
of joyons inspiration, and makes us all
poets for once in our lives, at least. And
now how longed to make myself lovely
in his sight; rich attire assumed ia my
estimation new and peculiar value, a
desirability almost pathetic in the impro-
liability of my possessing it.
We arrived in Highbury about noon
and drew up before the old-fashioned
white house. The green blinds were
solemnly closed and / felt sense of
sacrilege in even touching the brass
knocker at the massive front door. There
fore, when my cousin Julian came out
at a side entrance and told me the family
was at the dinner table | went in at the
dining room door. / always experienced
chill upon entering that solemn apart
ment, for rigid silence at mealtime
was coneidered good department at Cou-
sin Charity's, talking evidently being re-
garded as frivolous waste of time ex-
tremely unbecoming in any New Eng land
person, and my feeble attempts at CON
versation were merely tolerated. Cou-
sin Roger, to be sure had a rudy, good
humored face, and it used to seem that
that he could have been quite a jolly
companion at any other table than his
own, where that little pale-eyed, mouse
like woman apparently had a petrifying eff
feet upon him. Butthat day manners were